Zen and the Art of Vampires by Katie MacAlister Read Free Book Online

no one has informed me of anything like that,” I said with a forced little laugh that sounded hollow.
    â€œShe doesn’t seem to be anxious to help us,” Marta said, a sob in her voice. “What are we going to do? What if the evil one comes?”
    As if on cue, Mattias appeared briefly at the end of the street. I ducked down until I could just barely see him. He stood for a moment in indecision, quickly scanning the front of the church and the street before he made a right turn and hurried off down a cross street.
    â€œI’m sorry. I don’t quite understand what it is you want me to do for you. You say an old lady told you to find me? Did she say her name?” I asked, wondering if the woman at the church could have sent the pair after me.
    â€œShe was on the ship. She said she would stay there, where her son was, but that we should go ashore and the reaper would show us the way. She said we’d know you by your light, and that there might be another one, an evil one, who did not have a light. You do have a light,” Karl pointed out.
    â€œYeah, and I’m not quite sure how that happened, but given the present situation, I think maybe I’ll just move past that point. Where exactly did you need directions to? I’m a stranger here, myself, and don’t know too many of the local spots, although I do have a good map.”
    The couple squatted down next to me as I pulled out the detailed map I had for the area.
    â€œWe were going to Canada. To Halifax, to be with Marta’s brother and his family,” Karl said as they peered at my map.
    I glanced at their period clothing, and bit my lower lip for a moment. “Would you mind me asking you when you were on the ship? What . . . er . . . what year was it?”
    â€œIt was 1922,” Karl answered quickly, looking puzzled. “Why?”
    I reached out to touch the lapel of his coat. Just as before, my hand met no resistance and passed right through him. “I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think your ship made it to Canada. I have a suspicion that it might have wrecked offshore of Iceland, and you’re . . . well, you’re ghosts.”
    â€œKarl,” Marta said in a near wail, grabbing her husband’s arm again. “She is not the good one. She is Ilargi!”
    â€œShhh!” I hissed, peeping over the edge of the railing to see if Mattias had come back. The street, luckily, was clear. “I’m not anything other than really confused.”
    â€œNow, love, don’t panic,” Karl said, patting her hand. “She is a reaper, not Ilargi. We just need to convince her we’re worthy of her help.”
    â€œOh, you don’t have to convince me of that. I can see you’re a very nice couple, and I’m really sorry to have to be the one to break it to you that you’re . . . er . . . life challenged. And I would help you if I could, but I really don’t think I’m the person you’re looking for.”
    â€œYou’re not going to show us the way?” Karl asked with a nervous glance at his wife.
    Marta stared at me with bleak, hopeless dark eyes that seemed to wring my heart. “You would not leave us to the other?”
    â€œI’m not sure who you’re talking about, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do—you explain to me exactly where it is you’re trying to get to, and I’ll find out how you get there, OK?”
    â€œBut . . . you know where we’re going,” Marta said, her eyes moving between her husband and me. She looked strained, somehow stretched, as if she was about to tear apart into a thousand wispy bits.
    â€œAll right, then, I’ll find out where you’re going, and then we’ll work on how to get you there,” I said, trying to sound confident and calm. “Have you two been wandering around the town the whole time?”
    They both stared silently at me.
    â€œLet me put it this